Democratic debates scheduled for 2020: Next presidential Dem debate in Iowa

Democratic candidates will kick off 2020 with four primary debates, including one hosted by ABC News, the Democratic National Committee announced Thursday.

The newly announced debates are scheduled for January and February, a stretch when candidates must prove themselves as states hold the first caucuses and primaries of the election year.
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ABC News, in partnership with ABC's New Hampshire affiliate WMUR-TV and Apple News, will host a Feb. 7 debate at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. The state will host the country's first primary on Feb. 11.

The four debates are scheduled for:

Jan. 14: CNN and The Des Moines Register host a debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa

Feb. 7: ABC News, WMUR-TV and Apple News host a debate at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire

Feb. 19: NBC News and MSNBC, in partnership with The Nevada Independent, host a debate in Las Vegas, Nevada

Feb. 25: CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute co-host a debate at The Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina

The four debates precede Super Tuesday on March 3, when more than one-third of total convention delegates available to candidates will be awarded.
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They may also take place during the impeachment trials, meaning the five U.S. Senators in the race could return to Washington during a debate.



"If a conflict with an impeachment trial is unavoidable, the DNC will evaluate its options and work with all the candidates to accommodate them," Xochitl Hinojosa, communications director for the DNC, said in a statement.

The DNC will issue more information, including who qualifies for these debates, at a later date.